The present invention relates to a novel and useful apparatus for separating a pair of adjacent teeth.
Malocclusions are treated by orthodontists using various mechanical and chemical techniques. Prior to the implementation of such techniques, teeth-size modification must take place to correct crowding of teeth adjacent to one another. In the past, such teeth crowding had been corrected by teeth extractions or moving teeth into unstable or unrealistic positions.
The current procedures for the modeling of teeth is often is referred to as “slenderizing” or inter-proximal reduction of enamel. To achieve this result, the practitioner must first separated adjacent teeth and remove enamel with a mechanical device with a saw or rasp. Unfortunately, such techniques require great precision and damage to the tongue, teeth, and lips must be avoided.
Specifically prior methods require the use of wooden wedges to allow the employment of very thin stainless steel diamond coated abrasive strips. In certain cases, screw based separators are used. Wooden wedges induce pain in patients and often cause gingival papillae bleeding, which can confound later adhesive bonding. Moreover, the abrasive stainless strips possess sharp edges and are prone to fracture, such fracturing has caused lacerations on the lips, gingival papillae, floor of the mouth and tongue, since these areas are unprotected. Screw driven separators may also exert excessive forces on the teeth crowns and roots, resulting in fractures in the enamel and dentine.
In the past, many devices have been proposed to separate teeth. For example U.S. Pat. Nos. 436,603, 450,825 show teeth separators that use a support and a moveable wedge which is advanced by a lead screw.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 427,338, 440,509, 465,555, 511,619, 669,092, 1,306,696, and 1,464,532 describe tooth separators using a pair of wedges which fit in the gap between the teeth and employ a threaded member to exert force on one or more of the wedges.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 487,726, 819,136, 847,778, 862,694, and 1,456,294 employ posing wedges, at least one of which is split and expandable to separate teeth.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,647,315 shows a dental matrix instrument in which a screw is employed to place a band which exerts tension on a clip to allow the practitioner to separate teeth a temporary manner in order to insert a filing.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 350,150, 1,702,869, 1,829,898, and 2,048,856 teach teeth separators in which clamps are extended around adjacent teeth, that are caused to separate by one or more lead screws acting on the clamps.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 681,770 and 811,849 describe the use of flanges which partially fit around teeth that are then separated by the use of threaded members.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 425,067, 426,253, and 600,257 show mechanisms for separating teeth which employ lever arms in conjunction with wedges that are moved by screw mechanisms.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 421,952, 4,718,852, 7,083,412 illustrate dental separators which employ threaded mechanisms and wedges that fit in between teeth in combination with matrices that are used to surround or shield one or more teeth.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,666,683 describes a dental ring for installing an inter-proximal filing that utilizes a wedge in combination with a resilient ring.
United States Patent Publication 2009/0286200 shows a separating ring using a pair of legs which provide separation of the teeth by an interconnecting resilient ring.
An apparatus for separating a pair of adjacent teeth while protecting soft tissue to allow the use of enamel removing equipment would be a notable advance in the dental arts.